Phantom Twins
by Author of the Insane
Summary: Danny and Destiny Fenton were normal 17 year olds until their lives were irrevocably changed. With new powers they barely understand, and a whole mess of ghostly enemies, these twins must find a way to keep their home safe while making it home before curfew. Written in conjunction with my friend TrueUndeadHero


The basement of the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Engineering Hall buzzed with life. The lights flickered as cables laid scattered from large, industrial consoles to a deep well in the center of the room. A red-haired woman in a blue hazmat suit looked down at her checklist as she examined the equipment, inspecting every aspect to ensure it was in working order. It was then that two strong, sinewy hands wrapped around her waist. Her eyes widened in surprise as she was pulled into a large, barrel chested form.

"Boo." Jack exclaimed jokingly.

Maddie covered her mouth in surprise before playfully slapping his arm with a giggle.

"Don't do that!" She chirped, before slipping from his grip. "This is really important, no joking around Jack."

"Ah, but Maddie, come on. We're all alone in this creepy basement." Jack said as he wiggled his fingers jokingly, his voice deepening to a creepy, demonic tone. "Who knows what could happen."

"Oh I don't know." A voice crackled in their earpieces. "A German with millions could become mildly annoyed that SOMEONE forgot the hot mic for the third time today and interrupt. But, you know, who could really predict that?"

"Sorry Vlad," Maddie apologized, stifling a giggle, "Jack was just having a bit of harmless fun. But you are right, we need to take this seriously."

"Yeah, yeah." Jack droned as he rolled his eyes.

He walked towards the gapping well in the center of the room, peering over the edge. Cupping his hands around his mouth, he gave a boisterous shout.

"Sorry Vladdie! Didn't mean to forget about ya! How's the weather down there?"

"About the same since you last asked about, oh I don't know..." Vlad rolled up the cuff of his white dress shirt, looking down at his Patek Phillipe watch. "Ten minutes ago. It's going well. I just finished the ectoplasmic actuators and am moving down to primordial cabling network before-"

Vlad's earpiece was suddenly filled with the sounds of snoring and another feminine stifled giggle. He let out a sigh as the electric motor lowered him down. He pressed a button on his wrist, cutting out the snoring from his ear.

"Honestly Madeline, I don't know why you bothered bringing Jack onto this project." Vlad said with gritted teeth, "He's captain of the football team, not the science decathlon team. He doesn't understand the intrinsic nature of what we are doing here. In fact, I doubt he barely understands basic ma-"

"Hey Vladdie!" A voice boomed over Maddie's microphone, shaking Vlad as the cable jolted to a halt and the handheld button to the winch slipped from his grip. "I think my microphone isn't working on your end!"

The handheld button hit Vlad's chest, who arched his back to try and prevent it from falling as he spun in place. The cable twisted as he finally gripped the button.

"Vladdie!" The voice boomed again as Vlad hit the unmute button on his wrist.

"What?! I'm busy down here!" Vlad snapped, "This better be important!"

"Hey Vladdie, we should probably pull you out soon." Jack said, as he looked at the elevated, ground level windows. "There is a pretty nasty looking lightning storm rolling in quick, and this place's power grid is like from the fifties."

"Jack" Vlad said calmly as he gripped the ropes. "This is the Hall of Engineering for the entire university. I'm certain that the building has a better electrical system than we could imagine. Besides, I'm almost done. Just give me an hour and we will be able to test this thing."

He smiled as he remembered that the moment they were done, Jack would be out of their hair for good. He then placed both hands on a panel before slowly lowering it down to reveal the wiring inside.

"I'm plugging in the main power supply." He stated on the mic, "Jack, please don't shout. This is extremely-"

"You got it, Vladdie!" Jack shouted over the microphone.

Vlad's grip white-knuckled against the paneling as he felt like he'd soon have an aneurysm if this kept up.

"Delicate" He finished in a whispering tone. "You know, I'm just going to mute you both. I can get this done faster in silence."

Vlad hit the mute button on his wrist, smiling as the idle chatter of his oversized companion was finally silenced.

Meanwhile with Maddie, she heard the distinctive click of being muted and sighed.

"Jack, why do you insist on getting under Vlad's skin?" she wondered.

"Because the guy's a stuffed shirt that needs to loosen up." Jack replied, placing both hands behind his head. "Besides, this project would be boring without me."

Maddie sighed before giving a nod of agreement, turning back to her clipboard.

"Still, would it hurt for you to actually take this seriously?" she asked. "I mean, this has been my dream since I was a child. If I can prove that ghosts exist, it could open up an entire new field of sciences previously thought to be nothing more than superstition."

Jack glanced over at Maddie, noting the seriousness in her face. He sighed, then straightened up.

"Alright Maddie, you win." he told her. "I, Jack Fenton, promise that from this day forward, I shall take this project and all it relates to seriously."

Maddie giggled slightly, looking over at Jack.

"Thanks." she told him.

Outside, the sky was suddenly illuminated by a blinding crack of sheet lightning, immediately followed by the deafening sound of rolling thunder. The windows shook and the building groaned as fat droplets of rain began to fall like buckets onto the building. Maddie visibly jumped at the sound, glaring at the window in annoyance.

"Jack, get Vlad out of the well." She ordered, setting the clipboard aside. "We can finish this in the morning."

Jack gave a nod, then turned his attention to his mike.

"Hey Vladdie!" He shouted into the microphone. "Boss lady says it's time to come up. Storm's getting pretty hairy."

Maddie snorted a bit at Jack's antics.

"Jack, Vlad muted us both, remember?" she told him.

Jack paused for a second, turning a bit red as he remembered.

"Oh… Right…" He said, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. "Guess I'm doing this the old fashioned way."

He approached the edge of the well for the second time, taking a deep breath.

"Vladdie!" He shouted with all his might. "Time to come up!"

Vlad rolled his eyes at Jack's shout, reluctantly replacing the panel. He then turned to his wristband, unmuting them both.

"Everything's all set up." he informed them in a monotonous voice.

"Vlad, forget it for now." Maddie insisted, her voice becoming a bit more worried as she glanced out the window. "We'll test it tomorrow. The storm's getting bad and I don't want to risk damaging the equipment."

"On my way up to you now." Vlad told her.

Using the handheld button, the winch began to slowly pull Vlad out of the Ectowell. He barely made it a foot away from his work area before a second bolt of lightning struck. The whole building shook, the air became hot, and the only sound that could be heard was a thunderous boom. The windows shattered, allowing sheets of rain to pour in. The lightbulbs exploded and the consoles flickered to life. The winch's battery began to smoke, blowing out altogether as the rope was released. Vlad plummeted through the well, landing hard on the bottom. While Maddie focused on trying to figure out what was wrong with the console, Jack made a beeline for the well.

"Vlad!" he screamed, searching the darkness of the well for any sign of his companion.

At the bottom of the well, Vlad groaned in intense pain. His entire body felt like a bruise as he throbbed in agony. Above him, he could hear Jack's frantic shouts.

"Vlad, I'm going to have to pull you out manually!" Jack shouted, his voice echoing off the sides of the well. "Just don't move!"

Jack placed both feet on either side of the well, grasping onto the thick steel cable with both hands. Gritting his teeth, he tensed his muscles and began to pull. Vlad felt a small tug on the cable as he was slowly lifted off the ground and towards the light of the basement. All around him, he heard the soft whirr of actuators powering up, fans spinning, and an unearthly howl of wind all around him. The steel paneling that he had worked months to install almost seemed to fade away, giving birth to a sea of swirling green. Voices filled the well as shadowy figures swirled around him.

Jack continued his efforts to haul Vlad from the well, the steel cable rubbing raw wounds into the flesh of his palms. As he worked, he could feel the pneumatic doors of the well attempting to close beneath his feet. He dug his heels into the frame, forcing the doors to remain open as he continued his task. Looking down into the well, he could see the swirl green vortex gathering around Vlad.

"Maddie!" Jack shouted, his voice laced with fear and strain. "What's going on?!"

The consoles were flicking uncontrollably, sparking and smoking as Maddie attempted to regain control of the system. However, the keyboard she was using exploded into sparks, rendering it useless.

"The electrical surge overloaded the system!" she screamed. "I can't shut it off!"

Maddie moved to a second terminal as the one she had been using before exploded, sending a surge of power towards the portal. White-blue electricity mixed with the green energy of the well as it eddied around Vlad. The unfortunate man screamed in agony as his form shifted, his skin gaining a bluish tint as his black hair was bleached a stark white. The sounds of Vlad's pain doubled Jack's efforts as he finally yanked him out of the portal. Once Vlad was clear, Jack dragged him away as the doors finally slammed shut. His legs were shaking horribly and his hands were covered in lacerations, dripping blood in an almost continuous stream.

"Jack! Vlad!" Maddie screamed, running to them both.

Jack looked at the smoking consoles, then at the well as green light filtered through the seal of the door. Maddie looked up at him, cradling a now unconscious Vlad as tears threatened to stream from her eyes.

"I can't turn it off!" she choked.

Jack's eyes locked onto the chair she had been using, then to a large fuse box on the wall.

"Does that control the power to the entire building?" he asked, his voice low and serious.

"Yes." Maddie answered quickly. "But I don't know how we're going to-"

Jack walked past her, grabbing the chair and hurtling it at the fuse box. The door dented, the lock snapping in two as it creaked open, revealing an array of switches and knobs. Jack then picked up the chair a second time, lifting it like a bat and swinging it at the fuse box with every ounce of strength he had left. The fuse box exploded as the lights went out, the machinery dying down and the green light of the well fading away.

"There..." he huffed, the chair falling from his hands and clattering to the ground.

Maddie stared at Jack in disbelief as Jack's legs gave out, forcing the jock to his knees. He gave her a goofy smile as he fell forward, just barely catching himself.

"I fixed it..."

His arms turned to jelly beneath him as he finally passed out.

…..

Maddie sat in the hospital waiting room, her hands sitting in her lap as her foot twitched in an uncontrollable way. She tapped it repeatedly in the quiet void of the room, the only sounds accompanying it being the occasional cough or sniffle. Her skin was pale as she fiddled with a bracelet on her wrist, nervously glancing at the set of double doors leading deeper into the hospital. Said doors opened and the doctor approached. She stood up, adjusted her white blouse and straightened her skirt.

"Are you Madeline Tobin?" The doctor asked.

Maddie only nodded, her voice weak and close to breaking.

"I'm Doctor Edwardsen." He replied with a warm smile before looking down at his clipboard, lifting a page of the large stack of papers in front of him. "You're friends with Mr. Fenton and Mr. Meisters, correct?"

Madeline could only nod as the doctor lowered the papers and placed the clipboard under his arm. He motioned her to follow as he pushed open the doors, walking down the sterile white hallway.

"Well, Miss Tobin, your friends are extremely lucky." He said, pushing some curtains in the hall aside. "Can you remind me what exactly happened?"

"Electrical!" Madeline blurted out before turning to the doctor with a nervous smile. "I mean… Just a simple electrical accident. You know how guys are."

"Well, once again, they are extremely lucky." The doctor said before stopping in front of a room "I didn't see any real harm done to them, but I would like to keep Mr. Meisters for a few more days. His chart is showing some bizarre patterns which I hope to correct soon."

"Of course, and what of Jack? Is he-"

"He is fine as well." The doctor assured her as he removed the chart from under his arm, turning through the pages. "However, Mr. Fenton has suffered from some ankle and knee trauma, as well as deep lacerations on his hands. I would not recommend he play football for some time. It could lead to even worse injury if he should attempt anything. I filled the coach in, and he is not to leave this room without our permission."

"Can I go see them?" Maddie asked, looking at the door.

"Of course you can." The doctor assured her.

He opened the door, allowing Maddie to slowly enter. The room was pretty bare, with two beds leaned upward so their occupants could see a large hanging television, which was currently playing a sports game from a few years ago. Jack's hands were covered in bandages, leaving only his finger tips and forearms exposed. His legs were also elevated slightly, braces around his knees and ankles.

Meanwhile, Vlad had a cast around his right arm, his left leg was elevated with his right leg covered in an ice bag. His face had a number of bandages on it from across his nose, to three on his cheek and part of his head was shaven to reveal a series of stitches. The hair that remained was as white as snow, and seemed to be standing on end.

"Oh, this is a great play." Jack said with a grin, gesturing to the screen with one mummified finger. "McMillan goes for the-"

Jack cut off as he turned to the door. His face lit up when he saw Maddie standing in the door frame.

"Maddie!" He exclaimed happily.

Vlad winched, his cast arm reaching for his head before he screeched a bit and used his good arm to grab his bad shoulder.

"Jack!" Vlad whispered angrily, "They specifically told you to stop shouting! You might wake the dead!"

"Sorry," Jack winched as he turned to Maddie. "Got a bit excited."

Maddie sat down in a chair between the two beds, Jack adjusting himself so he could easily face the two.

"So, How- How are you two?" Asked Maddie, her hands clenching in her lap.

"Well," Jack began, leaning into his bed. "Doctor said that any real strain to my legs will probably snap them like a pair of twigs. Turns out I really screwed them up keeping that door open."

"Thanks again," Vlad said softly, rubbing his arm. "You really did save me back there."

"No problem V-Man!" Jack said, instinctively going in for a playful punch, but stopping when he remembered the extent of Vlad's injuries.

"Vlad, how about you?" Maddie asked, her face warming up a bit.

"Well, the doctor hasn't really told me anything except that they need to keep me over for a few more tests, but that could mean anything."

"You don't have the big C, do ya?" Jack interrupted.

"No, you-" Vlad caught himself, "No. I think it's something from that radiation from the ecto-well."

"Speaking of the Ecto-well…" Maddie added hesitantly. "The university's shutting down the project. The amount of damage to the Engineering basement, not to mention the destruction of the fuse box-"

"What else was I supposed to do?!" Jack interjected. "Allow an uncontrolled eruption of ectoplasmic radiation and spiritual energy to flood into our reality?"

Both Maddie and Vlad were dumbstruck, the two staring at Jack in utter amazement.

"What?" Jack asked. "I read more than just Sports Illustrated. By the way, did you see this month's swimsuit cover?"

"And he's back." Vlad commented, leaning back with an amused smile.

"Anyway…" Maddie continued. "They've already begun deconstructing the Ectowell, and I've heard that they plan on filling the remains with concrete."

"But what about the grant?" Vlad demanded.

"Gone." Maddie replied. "They said it's too expensive to keep our experiment running, and they spent a good two hours just ranting about damages and safety."

"Well I guess we're back to square one." Jack grumbled, crossing his arms irritably. "At least I still have my football scholarship to fall back on."

"Not necessarily." Vlad interjected, an idea forming. "My father is an incredibly wealthy man back in Germany. I'm sure it wouldn't take much to convince him to provide us with the necessary funding to continue our work."

Maddie looked over at Vlad in surprise.

"Vlad… Are you sure?" she asked.

"We've come this far." He replied. "We got it working. I was there Maddie. I was in the Phantom Zone."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Jack interjected, "If we're going to build another Ectowell, I think we need to make some changes to the overall design. First off, I think we should make it more like a walk-in freezer. That way, we don't have another incident like this one. Second of all, we're going to need some sort of emergency shut off."

Once again, Vlad and Maddie were rendered speechless. They exchanged glances as Maddie finally spoke up.

"You know, a walk-in design would make construction much easier." She admitted.

"It would also make the well itself more efficient and compact." Vlad interjected, giving Jack a confused glance. "Where did you learn all this?"

"Oh, when Maddie invited me onto the project, I found every book on ectology and spectronomy so I would be in the loop." Jack explained. "Though I never thought I actually ever get a change to use the big fancy words that the books did. It makes me feel smarter."

Maddie looked at Jack in surprise.

"You mean, this entire time you were taking the project seriously?" she questioned.

"Of course Maddie." Jack assured her. "This project is like your brain child. I wanted to do more than lug heavy stuff around. So, is the Tobin-Fenton-Meisters Ectogate 2.0 gonna be a real thing?"

"Wait, why is your name ahead of mine?" Vlad questioned with a small amount of annoyance.

"Because my name has less letters than yours, Vladdie." Jack replied, triumphantly planting his bandaged fist into the open palm of his other hand. "Wanna fight me over it, V-Man?"

Vlad just laughed.

"No." he said in between chuckles. "I suppose not."


End file.
